“Brutal” 2015 hasn't tainted Jorge Lorenzo’s respect for Valentino Rossi
“We would both have won more without the other…”
Jorge Lorenzo says his final MotoGP title-winning year in 2015 was “brutal” due to the controversy centring on Valentino Rossi, but now has “the utmost respect” for the legend.
Lorenzo and Rossi enjoyed a fractious relationship as team-mates at Yamaha between 2008 and 2010, and then again from 2013 to 2016.
Their rivalry perhaps reached boiling point in 2015, when Lorenzo won the championship amid accusations from Rossi that Marc Marquez was conspiring to deny the Italian that year’s world title.
It is a claim that Rossi upholds to this day.
Lorenzo’s third MotoGP title coming in the Valencia finale in 2015 was met with backlash from Rossi fans and a muted response from his Yamaha team, with the Spaniard ultimately signing to race for Ducati for 2017.
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Italy last week, Lorenzo touched on his final world title and his rivalry with Rossi.
“Evidently, everyone had believed Valentino's version,” Lorenzo said about what happened that season.
“2015 was a brutal year: everything happened. You have to think about the fact that I had never been solo leader until the last race.”
Lorenzo briefly led the championship after the Czech GP that year, but was level on points with Rossi.
Nine-time world champion Rossi sat atop the standings until the Valencia finale, though Lorenzo ultimately won more grands prix than his team-mate with 7-4.
“We would both have won more without the other,” he adds of their time racing together.
“But, thanks to our rivalry, we were much faster.
“Today, [I have the] utmost respect for him.
“We have all benefited from his charisma, because it has allowed many people to get closer to world motorcycling, giving visibility to the championship.”
Lorenzo’s relationship with Rossi not affected by Biaggi friendship
Rossi had rivalries with a number of high-profile riders across his career, with his first big one in the premier class coming against Max Biaggi.
Biaggi was Lorenzo’s hero growing up and became friends with the Italian, though doesn’t believe his relationship with Rossi was impacted in anyway by this.
“Max Biaggi was my idol,” Lorenzo said.
“The first time I met him we talked about many things, including Valentino Rossi.
“I immediately told him that he was my favourite. I don't think that my friendship with Max conditioned my relationship with Rossi.
“Surely, what was more important was the speed he put on the track.”
